Lakita: How are you?Larry: I am fine, thank you for askingLakita: So tell me a little bit about who Larry is?Larry: I am a husband, a father, a servant, I am grateful.Lakita: What are you grateful for?Larry: Just that I have had the opportunity to begin anew, and very glad that my life is the way that it is now, because I know where I come from.Lakita: Speaking of that where did you come from? Larry: Well my life has had it's share of not so good. I was in the streets, doing all that I thought I was big and bad to do. Young, making wrong decisions, but I did it.Lakita: How and when did your life change to start Operation Thugs?Larry: I went to a party and there was some people in there and although I did have a gun I gave it to someone I considered my friend, and decided to fight the guy. All of a sudden the guy was running shots were fired, and the guy was hit.Lakita: But I understand you didn't fire the shots?Larry: I didn't fire the shots, but I did do 5 years in Prison but was facing 29 years in jail. I fought the case for 2.5 years, but I was given a plea to say that I did it, and get 7 years with 85% of it completed and out of fear I took it. Had it went to trial and I lost, I would have had to do 29 years. I couldn't do that, I had a wife, and children. Lakita: Wow, so what happened?Larry: In short, while there at the prison, I was at the mercy of God at that point, trying to figure out how I got there, and then how I was going do for my family and everything. God spoke to me while there, I gave my life to Christ, and then God revealed to me about Operation Thugs. I got started. When I got out, I just got started, and now it is a 501 3c Organization that has chapters in other cities across the US. Lakita: Well it is obvious to me and those that come to any of the evangelism activities that you do, that God Is The Business in your life. What is it that makes you about God's people, life, truth, change and love? Larry: We just want to do what our mission says that this is a street ministry geared at bringing the Gospel of Christ into the streets. Being the light in dark places and sharing what Christ has done for us and also sharing what we have been through. However God wants to use us then we are available.Lakita: So in being true to your mission, what happened to the person that was your friend, who actually shot the gun, and said you did?Larry: First of the young man that was shot became paraplegic. So this is really unfortunate. The young man confessed it and repented to me about falsely sending me to jail and away from my family for 5 years. But he gave his life to Christ and I had the opportunity to baptize him.Lakita: Now that is taking the ministry way out of the box. How refreshing is that?Larry: Yeah, it was pretty awesome, only a God can do that.Lakita: I am so sure there are many people that you want to thank but is there anyone you would like to highlight?Larry:I would like to thank Ron Seidel who has been there for me, helping me with so many things. He is the Vice President of Operation Thugs and have been a total God send. I also thank my best friend David Wordsmith Derf, for just being my friend, and mentor. Totally grateful. But I would be remissed to not give my wife, Laquessa Bluford. If it wasn't for her love while I was still in Jail some years ago, I don't know if I would have made it. She was constant, and true, and she willed me back. I so love her for that. Also I love my children very much. They are great kids. Lakita: Wow, that is so awesome. There is so much more that I could write about, but there will be more times for us to do this. Stay tuned for a video interview of me and Larry.

**Interview was done on May 18, 2013. For more information about Larry Bluford Jr., or Operation Thugs, please go to his website at Operation Thugs